Means and method for loading aircraft



Sept. 1,' 1931.

A. F. GODEFROY ,057 MEANS AND METHOD FOR LOADING AIRCRAFT Filed Jan. 15, 1931 I N V EN TOR. fl/ezdxyahz 1. Gadefr'qy A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 1 r

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALEXAND-RE r. eoDEFRoY, on Los enemas, CALIFORNIA MEANS AND Mnrrnon son LOADING AIRCRAFT Application filed January 13, 1931. Serial No. 508,418.

10 Another object ofthe invention is to provide means for safely loading and unloading airplanes in situations where there is not suflicient room to provide the length of smooth surface necessary to effect a safe landing.

Another object of the invention is'to save time by loading airplanes quickly while in flight without the necessity of expending the amount of time required for landing and again taking to the air.

The figure is a perspective, somewhat diagrammatic, View illustrating the method and apparatus inruse to load and to unload an airplane which is shown in flight. I

Referring in detail to the drawing, the airplane'5 is shown providedwith a. guide line 6 which has been dropped from the airplane the upper end of said guide line being shown attached to fuselage at. 7, and the'lower end of said guide cord 6 being shown attached 30 at 8 to a revolving table 9. As indicated by the upper and lower arrowsin the view, the airplane 5 is traveling in a circulardirection and the table 9 is being rotated in the same direction, the orbital path of the airplane being about the same vertical axis as the axis of rotation of'the table 9. I v

A carriage 10 isv shown suspended from the airplane by means of a cable 11, said carriage having a door 12 to provide for loading thereinto and unloading therefrom I freight and passengers." Said carriage 10 is also provided with a guide extension 141- through which passes the guide line 6 and by which said carriage is guided in its movements 45 while-being raised from the table 9 to the airplane and while beinglowered from the airplane to said table. e

.: From what has already been said regarding the use of the device to load passengers from the table 9 on to the airplane while the latter is in fligha it Will be seen that the ee riage 10 may also be used, during flight, to

convey passengers from the airplane to the carrier for said carriage which is afforded by the revolving table in unloading the passengers, after the guide line has been dropped and its lower end secured to the table 9 near the periphery of said table, a carriage 10 which is suspended from or housed within the airplane, will be loaded with passengers or freight and then let down under the guidance of the guideline 6 till it reaches the revolving table 9, it being understood that the airplane will in the meantime be fiyin through as small a circle as possible directly ,5 above said table and in the same direction,

as the rotation thereof.

A suitable reel or Windlass (not shown) will be mounted upon the airplane and operated either by hand or by the engine of the airplane to unreel or Wind up the connections 6 and 11, as required.

The revolvable table 9 may be mounted upon a building having a fiat roof, or upon the ground, or in any other convenient situation. It may not be practicable to make the revolving table so large that its diameter will be equal to the diameter of the smallest circular path of flight possible for the airplane,

but by making said table as large as conveniently possible it will greatly aid, when rotated as stated, in the loading and unloading operations which have been described.

In the drawing a second carriage 10a is shown by dotted lines suspended from the air- 7 plane and also a second guide line 6a shown having a weight 6?) attached to its lower end to cause it to fall is a more dependable manner when lowered to table 9.

The device may also be used to transfer passengers to and from an upper to a lower airplane while both of said planes are in flight, one vertically above the other.

Claims:

end of said guide line to the ground, thenl. A method for loading aircraft which .n

2" I r 1,s21,057-

anchoring the lower end of said guide line tu a carrier which is adapted to travel in a circle, then putting said carrier into motion in a circle in the same direction that the airplane is circling, then by means of the aforesaid 5 cable and guide line lowering said conveyor from said airplane to said carrier. 7

2. A method for loading aircraft which consists in providing an airplane with a drop 7 line and with a cable, causing said airplane to travel in a circular path, to the ground, anchoring the lower end of said guide line to a rotary carrier, mounting upon said carrier a carriage, securing to said carriage the lower end of said cable, puttingsaid carrier into motion by meansof said carriage in a circular path, the direction of movement of said carrier and carriage being the same as the direction of movement of the airplane, and then hoisting said carriage to the airplane by means of said cable under the guidance of said guide line While both the airplane :and the carrier are moving in a circular path, as aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alfix my signature.

, ALEXANDRE F. GODEFROY. 

